


Service Industry

by nicostolemybones (fatherlords)



Series: AUctober 2019 [2]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Also fluff, Kinda, M/M, Nico x Will, Retail AU, fatphobia tw, pre-dating, solangelo, solangelo first meeting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-21
Updated: 2019-11-21
Packaged: 2021-02-18 12:02:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21510724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fatherlords/pseuds/nicostolemybones
Summary: Will works in the plus sized department in a clothing store. After a particularly rude customer, he finds himself helping a charming boy to pick out an outfit for his sister.I do not give permission for my work to appear on any apps nor do I consent to my work being reposted anywhere. If you see my work outside of my tumblr or outside of any blogs/accounts I mention in my fics, please report/contact them or inform me. If you report them, do not report as if it were your own work.My tumblr is @nicohasahappymeal
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Series: AUctober 2019 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1550413
Comments: 6
Kudos: 73





	Service Industry

Will hated working in retail. Customers were rude, and today, he was dealing with a Karen situation, a middle aged mom demanding to speak to the manager because the plus size department didn’t have a size eight. 

“Look, ma’am, that department is for plus sized customers, designed by plus sized people for plus sized people. You won’t find a size eight in here. But you can find a size eight literally anywhere else in the shop.”

“I demand to speak to your manager! This is dIscrimination! You have fat privilege!”

“Ma’am, this is the last time I’m going to tell you this, this is one small department in a whole shop, the rest of the shop is full of size eights, resources for other people do not mysteriously consume all the resources for the majority. There are still thousands of items of clothes for you in this shop. If there are nine size eights and there is one size twenty, there are still nine size eights and there is still only one size twenty. Resources made for people who aren’t the same as you do not take away from the quantity of resources available for people like you.”

“I demand to speak to the manager right now! I do not have the patience for this! I’m due in court in an hour to take the kids!”

“I’m the manager,” Will announced with satisfaction, and Karen stared for a moment.

“Then I demand to speak to the owner.”

Will drew a sharp intake of breath, preparing for his favourite part of dealing with customers. “Then I hope you make peace with whatever god you have,” Will said, leaning over the counter, “because I’m the owner!” The Karen stormed off, muttering something about fat propaganda and court. Will took a deep breath, preparing for the next customer.

“Hi,” Will greeted in a cheerful voice, “how may I help you?”

“I uh-” the boy cleared his throat. “My sister’s birthday is coming up and none of the other shops sell anything above a size ten, and my sister is a size fourteen. She doesn’t feel pretty and I want her to feel pretty. But I don’t know anything about women’s clothes or anything. I was wondering if I could request the personal shopper service?”

“Of course,” Will beamed, glad to see that so far, the customer wasn’t a jerk. He was also handsome. He called out to his colleague Frank, who took over at the till whilst Will took the boy deeper into the shop. “Does she have a favourite colour?”

“She likes purple and gold,” the boy replied.

“Is she comfortable in a dress or a skirt?”

“No,” he replied, and Will nodded. 

“Does she like tops with a low neckline or a high neckline?”

“Somewhere in the middle,” the boy replied.

“Sleeves?”

“Short sleeves.”

“Right,”Will said, picking out a few purple and gold tops that fit the criteria, “what do you think she’ll think of these? Oh and- we’ll buy the pants from the men’s department, the sizes are more consistent and the fabric is less likely to wear or break at the seams from chub rub, plus they fit the waist better.” He laid them out on a seat, and the boy stared for a second. 

“I think one and two are a bit tacky and night clubby. My sister’s the kind of badass who rides a horse and could gut a man like a fish if she wanted but she’s also a cinnamon roll and she’s into witchcraft and she’s your colleague's girlfriend.”

“Your sister is Hazel Levesque?”

“Yeah,” the boy replied.

“So you must be Nico di Angelo!”

“Uh- yeah…?”

“It’s so nice to meet you, I’m Will!”

“Wait a minute,” Nico sighed, “she set us up.”

Will was almost happy, until he remembered how many cute people were repulsed by him and turned him down. “I’m sorry she uh- inflicted me on you,” Will said, trying to laugh it off.

“You uh- you seem really sweet,” Nico said with a blush, “and you’re cute.”

“Nico, it’s okay, you don’t have to pretend to like me to make my sister happy or to not offend me,” Will said quietly, and Nico stared at him like he’d just said fish have legs. 

“I’m not,” he said adamantly, “I think you’re attractive and you seem like a nice guy. I’d like to get to know you.”

“Are you sure?” Will asked, waiting for the declaration that it was all a joke, “I mean I… I’m not the kind of guy you can sweep of his feet. I’m too fat.”

“Nonsense,” Nico said, “you’re not too fat at all. If ever there comes a day I can’t lift you, I’ll lift some weights.” Will found himself blushing.

“You seem pretty determined to get a date with me, huh?”

“Only if you want to!” Nico said quickly, “you don’t owe me anything, you can absolutely say I’m out of line!”

“I finish in three hours, meet me for a coffee and a cake in the food court?”

“Only if it’s chocolate,” Nico replied, and Will smiled and blushed. Maybe working in retail had its perks.


End file.
